The Villain (1917)
In The Villain, Billy attempted something a little different. He's still imitating Chaplin, but this time he's playing the wicked, top-hatted Charlie found in some of his earliest Keystone appearances (e.g. Mabel at the Wheel), the ones where Charlie himself seemed to be imitating the studio's recently departed Ford Sterling. Throughout this short there is much spoofing of old-time melodramas, a frequent motif of Sterling's comedies.
Director: Arvid E. Gillstrom
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Billy West as The Villain |
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Oliver Hardy as Nell |
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Florence McLaughlin as Florence |
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Bud Ross as Nell's Sweetheart |
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Ethelyn Gibson as Unknown role |
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Leo White as Unknown role |
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Joe Cohen as Unknown role |
| Directing | Arvid E. Gillstrom | Director |
| Editing | Ben H. Cohen | Editor |
| Production | Louis Burstein | Producer |
| Camera | Herman Obrock Jr. | Director of Photography |